Hair curler with heating and cooling hair contacting jaws



y 65 M. DEN BESTE 3,182,667

HAIR CURLER..WITH HEATING AND 000mm HAIR CONTACTING JAWS- Filed Oct. 18, 1962 United States Patent "cc 3,182,667 HAIR CURLER WITH HEATING AND COGLING HAIR CONTACTING JAWS Marion Den Beste, Prospect Heights, 111., assignor to The Gillette Company, Boston, Mass, a corporation of Delaware Filed Oct. 18, 1962, Ser. No. 231,411 6 Claims. (Cl.'13232) This invention concerns changing the configuration of hair and pertains more specifically to a device for waving or for straightening human hair. In the past, to curl hair, tresses have been impressed with a fixed configuration for a substantial period of time, (e.g., wrapped numerous times about a curler, coiled in the shape of a pin curl, or locked in a press) while subjected to a set-ting condition, such as wet or dry heat or chemicals.

One object of this invention is to provide an instrument which can be held in the hand and passed continuously along hair tresses even while still on the human head,

or through which the hair'tresses can be drawn, to reliably form stable curls or straight hair, as desired.

Another objective of the present invention is a provision of an instrument suited for home use which is ing hair-contacting surfaces arranged to be moved along a tress of hair or 'vice versa, means for heating the hair .as it contacts the surface of the first die, and means for cooling the hair as it contacts the surface of the second die,'the dies being constructed so that the hair tress is pressed against the surfaces in sequence as the instrument is moved along the hair tress. The co-operation of the heating and cooling dies enables sure and rapid production of stable curls.

In the embodiment illustrated which is particularly easy to use, each die is formed by two mated surfaces and heat is conducted to and removed from the hair by means of one or more of the surfaces themselves. The dies grip the hair only sutliciently to insure good contact with the heat exchange surfaces, the hair engaging surfaces allowing slipping. The instrument may be pulled or drawn along a tress, the hair passing successively between the two dies, the first heating and the second cooling while the hair is maintained in the desired configuration.

In-the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side view of the illustrated embodiment of the invention, shown in closed or set position in solid lines and in open position by the dotted lines;

FIG. 2 is a top view of the instrument of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an end view of the embodiment showing the curling of hair;

FIG. 4 isv an end view of the instrument in the open a position, preparatory to curling hair;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 55 of .FIG. 1 showing the relation of certain elements when when in the open position of FIG. 4.

The following is a detailed description of the illustrated embodiment of the invention.

3,182,667 Patented May 11, 1965 Referring to FIGS. 1, 2, 3, a central member in the form of a cylindrical mandrel 19 is disposed between a first elongated jaw 12, and a second elongated jaw 14, each jaw and the opposing portion of the mandrel together forming a die. The jaws are positioned on opposite sides of the mandrel and each has a concavely curved, smooth surface disposed against and mating with the face of the mandrel. In this embodiment the jaws are aluminum which possesses a high heat conductivity, and the mandrel 10 is a sleeve of a heat-insulating synthetic plastic such as polytetrafiuoroethylene supported on one end of a rod 16, a flange 18 preventing hair slipping towards the rod. At its opposite end, the rod is pivotally mounted on pin 19 to clevis 20 which forms a connecting member.

A synthetic plastic such as polytetrafluoroethylene is desirable for use in the mandrel both because of its low heat conductivity, which minimizes transfer of heat from heated jaw 12 to cool jaw 14, and because of its smooth surface over which the hair tress slides freely. Other materials may also be used such as silicone rubber which is resilient and hence tends to urge the hair fibers of the tress into closer engagement with the die faces, and glazed ceramics. If desired, the mandrel may be made in two parts, one for each die, and one part may be heated while the other is cooled.

The jaws are preferably supported at opposite sides of the mandrel so that in a closed position they are spaced from each other as shown in FIG. 3 to minimize the transfer of heat from one to the other. To this end, the first jaw 12 is centrally pivoted at 22 to support arm 24, the latter extending to the clevis member, to one end of which it is pivoted at 26 on an axis at right angles to the pivot axis of rod 18. The longitudinal axis of the elongated jaw is generally parallel with the axis of its supporting arm. An electrical cord 28 extends into the instrument along this arm to the resistance heating element 30 mounted inside the jaw 12.

The second jaw 14 is similarly pivotally mounted at its center at 32 to support arm 34 which extends to the clevis member 20, the longitudinal axis of this jaw being generally parallel to the axis of its arm. Ann 34 is pivotally mounted at 36 to the end of the clevis opposite from pivot 26, so that the two arms and jaws pivot in substantially the same plane between open and closed or set positions. The jaw 14 along its outer side has a multiplicity of integral fins 38 spaced from each other in heat-transferring relation to the jaw surface, the fins having a darkened surface finish for maximizing their heat emissivity.

At the clevis end of the instrument, a fiat spring 40 bent into a U has one leg extending inwardly along support arm 24, and the other leg along support arm 34, positioned to urge the two arms to pivot away from each other. The support arms 24 and 34 are preferably of molded plastic composition and their outer surfaces 42 and 44 define grips or handles by which the user can press the two arms together, against the spring pressure, pressing the jaws 12 and 14 toward each other and against the mandrel 10.

. present embodiment this is achieved by two slotted cam members 46 and 48 engaging the mandrel support rod at positions spaced toward the mandrel from the clevis, one

being mounted at 50 tosupport arm 24 and the other being mounted at 52 to support arm 34. Each of the slots has a width corresponding to the diameter of the support rod 16, and the rod extends through both slots. The cams extend toward each other, transverse to the axes of their support rods, the slot of each being set at an angle to the plane of movement of the jaws, so as to have a component in the plane of movement of the support rod 16. Each slot begins at the plane of the jaws and extends outwardly with the slots crossing each other. The cam members are constructed and arranged so that when the two jaws 12 and 14 are pressed together, the mandrel support rod moves to the end of each slot at the plane of the jaws, carrying the mandrel between the jaws (FIGS. 3 and 5).

When the two jaws are spread apart by the springs, the mandrel support rod 16 is forced by a scissors-like action to the outer end of each slot (FIG. 6) and the rod 16 is pivoted carrying the mandrel out from between the jaws (FIG. 4). In the open position (FIG. 4) the mandrel is easily accessible and the tress of hair 17 may be passed beneath it, with the mandrel on one side and the jaws on the other, without the user touching the hot member.

In use of the device it is first connected to a suitable source of electricity to heat jaw 12 to the desired temperaturc, prefer-ably from 169 to 260 C., while the device is in the open position. It is then placed as close to the head as desired (with cool jaw 14 adjacent the head and heated jaw 12 remote from it), and a tress of hair 17 of any suitable size is passed between mandrel and the two jaws 12 and 14 as shown in FIG. 4. The two hand grips 42, 44 are then squeezed together manually to move the device to closed or set position as seenin FIG. 3, with the hair tress pressed between the curved surfaces of jaws 12, 14, and the mandrel 10. The device is then moved along the length of the hair tress away from the head, so

that each portion of the tress is successively heated, then immediately cooled while maintained pressed in curved configuration against the die surfaces. It is found that the degree of curling produced depends upon the radius of curvature of the die faces and upon the speed of movement of the device along the tress as well as upon the temperature differential between the heated and cooled die faces. By proper selection of these factors, it is possible either to reduce the curl of Negro hair or to curl straight hair rapidly. If a tress-engaging surface at the first die is maintained at a temperature of 260 C., for instance, and the second die has integral hair-cooling fins which maintain it at room temperature or a little higher, say up to 50 C., the instrument may be pulled along the tress from scalp to the ends in two to five seconds depending upon the length of the tress, and the hair is set while surprisingly no thermal damage to the hair occurs. With the first die surface at a lower temperature, e.g., 160 C., the draw along a tress may take from ten to fifteen seconds.

Suitable mandrel sizes are /2 and inch diameter, and both of these can be used interchangeably in the instrument. For best results the jaw surfaces should be mated with the mandrel, i.e., be of substantially the sameform; but mandrels of somewhat different sizes can be used with the same jaw members with reasonably satisfactory results. Various hair treating or modifying formulations may be applied to the hair during the hair curling. However, the

device is capable of curling dry hair, e.g., hair that has been freshly shampooed and dried to 20 to 25 percent moisture, which is most advantageous in some circumstances.

A head of hair can be entirely curled in about 35 minutes, or the instrument can be used to touch up curls in a relaxed area or to provide styling of selected areas When the invention is considered broadly, it compre bonds the use of components having various specific forms. Each die may have only a single hair-contacting 7 surface, the hair being pressed against it by any suitable means which maintains tension in the hair itself as it passes against the fiat or convex face of the die. Other means for heating and cooling the respective dies may also be employed, such as streams of heated or cooled fluids from any suitable source, reactions of appropriate chemicals which evolve or absorb heat, thermoelectric cooling or heating couples, or heat sinks composed of a frozen mass such as ice which absorbs heat by melting. Various other changes of specific details can be made within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A device for changing the configuration of human hair which comprises a first forming jaw having a haircontacting surf-ace adapted to be moved along a tress of hair, said surface being of heat conductive material and said jaw including heating means mounted in heat-transerring relation to said surface, a second forming jaw spaced from the first having a hair-contacting surface adapted to be moved along a tress of hair, said second mentioned surface being of heat conductive material and said second jaw including cooling means mounted in heattransferring relation to said second mentioned surface, heat insulating means mating with the surfaces of said first and second jaws to engage a hair tress against said surfaces, and means for pressing said insulating means and said mating jaw surfaces toward each other.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1 in which said heating means includes means for heating said first jaw to a temperature from to 260 C.

3. A device as claimed in claim 1 in which said heat in sulatirn means comprises a generally cylindrical mandrel and said jaw members are elongated elements disposed at opposite sides of said mandrel extending generally parallel thereto and mating therewith.

4. A device for changing the configuration of human hair which comprises a first forming jaw having a haircontacting surface adapted to be moved along a tress of hair, said surface being of heat conductive material and said jaw including a heating element mounted in heattransferring relation to said surface, a second forming jaw spaced from the first having a hair-contacting surface adapted to be moved along a tress of hair, said second mentioned surface being of heat conductive material and said second jaw including cooling means mounted in heat-transferring relation to said second mentioned sur face, a heat insulating central member mounted between said jaws and mating with the surfaces thereof to engage a hair tress against said surfaces, a support arm on which said first jaw is mounted, a support arm on which said second jaw is mounted, said arms being connected to pivot relative to each other to move said jaws substantially in a plane between a set position, where the jaws lie adjacent said central member and an open position, where the jaws are spaced substantially further apart, and wherein means is provided for moving said central member into said plane when said jaws are in set position and out of said plane when said jaws are in open position to enable in the open position the passing of a tress of hair between the central member on one side and the two jaws on the other, and in the closed position, to cause the tress to be conformed about said central member, in contact with the surfaces of said jaws.

5. The device as claimed in claim 4 wherein said central member and said jaw members are elongated and mounted to extend parallel to each other in the set position, and includes a connecting member to which said support arms and said central member are pivoted adjacent their corresponding ends, and in which each support arm carries a cam spaced from said connecting member, .each cam being engaged with said central member, the

. two cams being shaped to move said central member into and out of said plane as said support arms move simultaneously between said open and set positions.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Dawes et a1 132- 37 XR Keele 13236 Walsh 132-32 Dodd 132-37 Werner et a1 132-31 Shield 132--37 RICHARD A. GAUDET, Primary Examiner. 

1. A DEVICE FOR CHANGING THE CONFIGURATION OF HUMAN HAIR WHICH COMPRISES A FIRST FORMING JAW HAVING A HAIRCONTACTING SURFACE ADAPTED TO BE MOVED ALONG A TRESS OF HAIR, SAID SURFACAE BEING OF HEAT CONDUCTIVE MATERIAL AND SAID JAW INCLUDING HEATING MEANS MOUNTED IN HEAT-TRANSFERRING RELATION TO SAID SURFACE, A SECOND FORMING JAW SPACED FROM THE FRIST HAVING A HAIR-CONTACTING SURFACAE ADAPTED TO BE MOVED ALONG A TRESS OF HAIR, SAID SECOND MENTIONED SURFACE BEING OF HEAT CONDUCTIVE MATERIAL AND SAID SECOND JAW INCLUDING COOLING MEANS MOUNTED IN HEATTRANSFERRING RELATION TO SAID SECOND MENTIONED SURFACE, HEAT INSULATING MEANS MATING WITH THE SURFACE OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND JAW TO ENGAGE A HAIR TRESS AGAINST SAID SURFACES, AND MEANS FOR PRESSING SAID INSULATING MEANS AND SAID MATING JAW SURFACES TOWARD EACH OTHER. 